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Like white potatoes, sweet potatoes are super versatile. You can create everything from sweet potatoes from French fries to pie and bread to casseroles and soups.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene and vitamin A. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant our bodies need to help our immune systems. Studies show that consuming foods rich in beta-carotene can help to fight off cancers and heart disease. Vitamin A also is great for our immune system, as well as skin and eye health.

The best thing about sweet potatoes is you can get them year-round. In the summer, you can roast them on the grill and serve them with your main dish, and in the winter you can make a cozy casserole or hot soup with them.

I've made a couple different types of sweet potato soups, and believe it or not, you can create a lot of different flavors in your soup when using sweet potatoes. For instance, combine them with maple syrup and carrots and you've a got a sweet soup. Or mix them with chicken stock, roasted tomatoes and peppers, and you've got a savory, spicy soup.

This soup is kind of Thai-based. As usual, I found a few different recipes I liked and mixed them together, adding this and throwing out that. It's meatless, but the addition of peanut butter (yes, peanut butter) gives it some protein. Throw in a can of unsweetened coconut milk and you add extra potassium and manganese to help level out your blood sugar and iron.

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I'll warn you, it's a different taste than you might be used to; it's fairly rich, and there are a lot of powerful flavors in this. But what's wrong with powerful flavors?

Asian Sweet Potato Soup

2 large peeled, diced sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (no margarine)

1 medium yellow onion, roughly diced

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 can coconut milk

1/4 cup all-natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I like chunky)

2 Roma tomatoes, diced in small cubes (Remove the seeds if you want to. You also can use a can of good quality diced tomatoes)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoon fresh peeled and grated ginger root

Hefty pinch of red pepper flakes, more for a spicier taste

1 lime

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro

Greek yogurt

Crushed peanuts (optional)

Directions:

Heat the butter on medium heat, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about five minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and chicken stock, along with the cumin, pepper flakes and grated ginger root. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, blend potato mixture until smooth. You can use a regular blender, but mix only in small batches, because hot liquid explodes in a blender, and you and your kitchen ceiling will be wearing scalding, orange paste.

Once the soup is blended, put it back on very low heat and add peanut butter and mix well by hand. Add the coconut milk, stir. Add salt and squeeze in the juice of one lime.

To serve, spoon the soup into bowls. Add in a spoonful or two of the tomatoes. Top with a dollop of yogurt a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and crushed peanuts (if using).

I like to dip crusty bread in it, but you also can serve some interesting crackers on the side.

Every other week, self-proclaimed foodie Terri Chance will share her experiments with healthy cooking. If you have ideas for her test kitchen, email her at Wrytwon@yahoo.com.

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